Illawarra Women’s Health Centre’s base at the Innovation Campus. Inset: General manager Jess Davidson. Photos: Ali Anderson, Zoe Cartwright.
The good news is Australia is ranked 13th for gender equality internationally – its highest score ever.
The bad news is Australian women still shoulder most unpaid care, face high rates of intimate partner violence and continue to earn less than men.
The recently-released 2026 Status of Women Report Card says although Australia has made significant progress, there is more work to do.
Illawarra Women’s Health Centre general manager Jess Davidson said the report card confirmed what staff were seeing in the Illawarra: surging demand for counselling, domestic and family violence support and reproductive health care, with some women waiting up to 12 months for help.
In its submission to the NSW Budget, to be handed down in June, the centre has called on the government to establish a permanent women’s health service in northern Illawarra, warning that rapidly increasing demand is pushing existing services beyond capacity and leaving many women without timely care.
The centre’s submission says its current Warilla facility is struggling to meet the needs of women across the region.
The centre self-funded a temporary outreach service at the University of Wollongong Innovation Campus in 2024 and while it has been popular with the community, Ms Davidson said it cannot continue long-term without government support.
She said the findings of the Status of Women Report Card highlighted why it was so vital for the government to fund a northern Illawarra centre.
“Women already face higher health needs, but in the Illawarra many are waiting months for some services to access the support they need,” Ms Davidson said.
The report card also showed that violence against women remained widespread, with almost one in four women having experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15, while one in five women have experienced sexual violence.
For many women, specialist services are the first safe place to seek help.
“When women are experiencing violence or trauma, delays in access to counselling or support can have devastating consequences,” Ms Davidson said.
“Women should not have to wait months for help or travel across the region to find it.”
Despite record workforce participation, the report card shows women still shoulder most unpaid care responsibilities.
Ms Davidson said these pressures could make it harder for women to prioritise their own health.
“A local northern site would remove a major barrier to care for women balancing work, children and caring responsibilities,” she said.
Ms Davidson said the report card showed financial pressure was forcing women to rely on community health services – “but without adequate funding those services cannot keep up with demand”.
“Establishing a permanent northern Illawarra women’s health service would mean fewer women reaching crisis point and more women getting the care they need, when they need it,” she said.
“This is not a pilot or an untested idea.”
The centre’s budget proposal seeks funding to establish a permanent northern Illawarra site offering bulk-billed women’s health services, expanded counselling and casework support, and dedicated bilingual staff to improve access for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
